The Rockdale County community is mourning the loss of a longtime deputy who died after contracting COVID-19.
Steven Minor worked for the sheriff’s office for nearly 19 years, most recently as a school resource officer at Edwards Middle School in Conyers.
He died June 24 at Rockdale Piedmont Hospital, just days after testing positive, his daughter said. He was 54.
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On Monday morning, hundreds attended a “memorial ride” organized by Minor’s colleagues to celebrate his life. The caravan began at the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office, passed two schools where Minor worked and ended at Springfield Baptist Church, where he was a member.
A small funeral service for Minor's family and close friends will be held Tuesday morning at New Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, according to his obituary.
The deputy leaves behind three daughters and a wife of 24 years, his family said. But after years of mentoring students at two Rockdale County schools, the deputy left a lasting impression on countless lives.
“To be honest, my dad was everybody’s dad,” his daughter, Asia Minor, said Thursday. “All those kids he came in contact with — even grown men — my dad was just a great person.”
Credit: Family photo
Credit: Family photo
She said he often talked about taking additional classes after retiring from law enforcement, just so he could return to the middle school and continue working with children.
Following his death, the sheriff’s office parked Minor’s patrol car outside the department’s headquarters. Those who knew him tied balloons to his cruiser and left bouquets of flowers behind.
Asia Minor said she was overwhelmed by the messages from former students and their parents, many of whom thanked her father for being a role model.
Credit: Rockdale County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Rockdale County Sheriff's Office
The 25-year-old said she has nothing but happy memories of her dad and the time they spent together.
“To be honest, I’m thankful for every day,” she said. “No matter what happened on the job or what was going on with him personally, he always greeted us with a smile and a big hug. Literally every day.”
Monday’s memorial service was attended by Minor’s former colleagues and several students who credited him for their academic success.
Among them was Londia Young, who said he may not have graduated high school if it weren’t for Minor being a mentor and a father figure. Like many of Minor’s students, Londia told Channel 2 Action News he was shocked to learn the deputy died of complications from COVID-19.
“He seemed like a really healthy guy. He was a strong guy,” the former Rockdale County student said. “I thought he would fight right through it and be right back on the force, that he’d be right back at the school again.”
Michael Sellers, a retired deputy who supervised Minor and recruited him to work at the schools, described him as a kind, compassionate friend.
“The kids loved him. The administration loved him,” Sellers said. “Steve was one of these types of guys that you just immediately fell in love with ... He was a big man, but he was a gentle giant.”
It’s unclear where Steven Minor may have contracted COVID-19, but his daughter said both she and her aunt are sick despite their family being extremely cautious for months.
Asia Minor said she believes her father may have gotten sick after returning to patrol duty following the end of the school year. The sheriff’s office declined to say how many employees have contracted COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
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Credit: AJC
